Kansas Offers Chicago Catholic League Tight End Charlie Fowler: What It Means

Lance Leipold has been recruiting the Chicagoland area for years going back to his days as head coach at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater. And that philosophy hasn't changed since he arrived in Lawrence back in 2021.

Kansas offered offensive lineman Corey Laga out of Chicago suburb Lemont last week, and earlier this week, Leipold offered tight end Charlie Fowler out of Chicago Catholic League powerhouse Loyola Academy in Wilmette.

After a great phone call with @CoachLubick I am blessed to receive an offer from Kansas!@CoachSvarczkopf @KU_Football @Loyola_FB pic.twitter.com/ad68tHgn0f
— Charlie Fowler (@charliefowler1_) November 21, 2025

Charlie Fowler's scouting report

Fowler is only a sophomore who has four offers after KU offered him, but expect that number to climb following the new year. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder helped the Ramblers reach the IHSA 8A postseason and comes from a program that has produced a ton of top talent over the years, including brothers James and Josh Kreutz, who play at Illinois.

Fowler moves like a wide receiver and has soft hands to go with a big catch radius. Fowler struggles at times to break tackles, but that should change as the youngster continues to grow into his body. After all, he's just a sophomore, and will probably gain an inch or two and put on 20-25 pounds before he graduates.

Charlie Fowler's background

Based on Fowler's high school tape, he's mostly utilized as a pass catcher over the middle of the field, but can play outside the numbers in jump ball/red zone situations based on his height and jumping ability. Loyola worked out of an empty formation a lot this year, and Fowler was his quarterback's safety blanket.

However, Fowler did get some snaps at H-Back, but his biggest asset is in the passing game as a pass catcher, not as a blocker. Fowler has a ton of upside, who very well could be the No. 1-rated tight end in the state by the time he's a senior.

Where we think Charlie Fowler ends up?

Absolutely no clue. Fowler has three other offers in Michigan State, Toledo, and Western Michigan, but expect that number to wind up in the double digits before next football season starts. Fowler went to a couple of camps last year, and assuming he does that again this year, Fowler very well could end up as a three or four-star prospect with half a dozen offers from SEC and Big Ten programs.

But considering KU offered Fowler early and has done a good job recruiting Illinois under Leipold, don't be surprised if he keeps Kansas near the top for a while.